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Still/Born

Name: Still/Born
Director: Brandon Christensen
Released: 2018
Duration: 87 min

Representation Score

3.0/10

Limited

2018

Director

Brandon Christensen

Runtime

87 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Still/Born is a character-driven psychological horror that prioritizes individual trauma over broader systemic exploration. It succeeds in centering the female experience through a protagonist facing intense vulnerability and intellectual struggle. However, the film's narrow demographic scope and reliance on traditional narrative structures limit its diversity. The setting is isolated and homogeneous, providing little room for racial, ethnic, or cultural variety. Ultimately, the film uses psychological fragility primarily as a device for supernatural tension rather than providing an empowered look at neurodivergence or mental health.

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Category Breakdown

Does Still/Born have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters. It focuses solely on heterosexual and cisgender experiences related to maternal grief and biological bonds.

How does Still/Born portray gender?

Fair

The story centers on a woman's autonomy, both psychologically and physically. Despite avoiding typical damsel-in-distress clichés, the lack of a diverse supporting cast limits broader gender representation.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Still/Born?

Minimal

The setting is highly localized and homogeneous, lacking multicultural breadth. The cast adheres to a narrow demographic focus common in isolated horror.

How does Still/Born represent religion and culture?

Limited

Themes revolve around the sanctity of the family unit and maternal bonds. The film offers little exploration of secularism or the deconstruction of social norms.

Does Still/Born include disability representation?

Fair

Mental health and psychological deterioration drive the horror. However, these elements function more as suspense tools than nuanced portrayals of living with mental health conditions.

Present on Screen

Centers the female experience by focusing on a woman's psychological and physical autonomy.
Avoids traditional 'damsel' clichés by placing the protagonist in an active intellectual struggle.

Limited or Absent

Lacks racial and ethnic breadth due to a highly localized and homogeneous setting.
Uses mental health and psychological instability primarily as tools for horror rather than nuanced representation.
Provides no representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight relationships.

Official Synopsis

Still/Born follows Mary, a new mother who lost one of her twins in childbirth. As she struggles with the loss of one of her children, she starts to suspect something sinister is after her surviving child – a supernatural entity that has chosen her child and will stop at nothing to take it from her.

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